The present invention relates to a connector cover, and in particular, a connector cover used for a connector of a card edge type such as an expansion slot of a computer.
While the computers are used in various places, they are often installed in an environment unsuitable for installation. In such cases, contact failures may be caused by, for example, dirt stuck in an available expansion slot of the computer. Thus, a connector cover is used for a connector which is an unused available slot or the like to block its opening.
A card edge connector used, for example, for the available expansion slot or the like of a computer has an opening having a concave groove formed therein for mounting an apparatus having a card-shaped portion on which a connecting terminal is provided, such as various kinds of cards like a memory card for example. The connector cover for blocking such an opening of the card edge connector is proposed in Japanese Patent No. 3003691. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of this connector cover.
This connector cover 101 is made from an insulator material such as plastic, and has a cover 102, handles 103 and insertions 104. The cover 102 is formed in a rectangular plate, and a plurality of the handles 103 are placed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction on the top surface of the cover 102. The cover 102 has the insertions 104 in the shape of a rectangular plate protruding out downward from the under surface thereof. A plurality of the insertions 104 are placed at predetermined intervals, facing the handles 103, in the longitudinal direction of the cover 102. The insertion 104 is formed, for example, to have a width equal to the interval of an inner wall of a connection section 106 in the shape of a concave groove of a card edge connector 105. A notch 107 extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cover 102 is provided between the handles 103 adjacent on the top surface of the cover 102. An appropriate number of the notches 107, for example, three notches 107, are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the cover 102. The notch 107 is a V-shaped groove, for example, formed on the top surface of the cover 102, and has an appropriate depth from the top surface toward the under surface of the cover 102.
To attach such a conventional connector cover 101 on the card edge connector 105 for example, the insertions 104 formed on the under surface of the cover 102 are inserted into the connection sections 106 of the card edge connector 105 until the under surface of the cover 102 comes into contact with the top surface of the card edge connector 105. The connection sections 106 of the card edge connector 105 are covered by the cover 102. The insertions 104 of the connector cover 101 then come into contact with the inner walls of the connection sections 106 of the card edge connector 105, and are held by a frictional force between the inner walls and the insertions 104. In addition, to remove the connector cover 101, an operator holds and pulls up the handles 103 provided on the cover 102 so that the connector cover 101 comes off the card edge connector 105. The notches 107 are provided on the cover 102 to enable the connector cover 101 to be apply variable connectors. The initial connector cover 101 is in the shape of a string connected in the longitudinal direction, and the notch 107 is folded to separate the connector cover 101 for use depending on the length of the top surface of the card edge connector 105.
For the above-mentioned conventional connector cover 101, it is possible to integrate the handles 103 with the cover 102 to ease production of the connector cover 101.
Referring to FIG. 8, a cover 202 of such a connector cover 201 is in the shape of a rectangular plate, and an insertion 204 is in the shape of a rectangular plate protruding out downward from the under surface of cover 202 just like the connector cover 101 shown in FIG. 7. The cover 202 has one of its ends extended in the longitudinal direction so that, when the connector cover 201 is attached to the card edge connector 105, that end will protrude out of a side of the card edge connector 105. The protruding portion is a lifting section 203. In addition, an end surface of the insertion 204 standing vertical in the longitudinal direction of the cover 202 comes into contact with the inner wall of the card edge connector 105 so that, when mounted on the card edge connector 105, the connector cover 201 and the card edge connector 105 will not be deviated by moving relatively in the longitudinal direction. A notch 207 extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cover 202 is provided on the top surface of the cover 202 between the insertions 204, and the notch 207 is V-shaped groove for example.
To remove the conventional connector cover 201 as described above from the card edge connector 105, the operator holds and pulls up the lifting section 203 which is a protruding end of the cover 202 of the connector cover 201.
Referring to FIGS. 9a to 9c, when such a conventional connector cover 201 is removed from the card edge connector 105, a problem is created because the insertion 204 is torn by the boundary between the insertion 204 and the cover 202. More specifically, the lifting section 203 is pulled upward to remove the connector cover 201 from the card edge connector 105 as shown in FIG. 9b from the state shown in FIG. 9a in which the connector cover 201 is attached on the card edge connector 105. The head of the lifting section 203 of the cover 202 moves upward like an arc on the axis which is the notch 207. However, the surface, especially the lower part of the surface, vertical to the longitudinal direction of the insertion 204 near the lifting section 203 and the inner wall of the card edge connector 105 interfere. For this reason, if the lifting section 203 of the cover 202 is further lifted, a problem is caused because the insertion 204 mounted on the cover 202 is torn or split at the root, the boundary of the insertion 204 and the cover 202, as shown in FIG. 9c. 